What They’re Saying About the Eagles

We’ll continue to pass along tidbits from our session with Chip Kelly the rest of the week, but for now, here’s a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles:

ESPN.com’s Field Yates identifies four teams that could be potential fits for DeSean Jackson, including the New York Jets:

This is a team that has the financial resources to make this arrangement work. The Jets are in win-now mode according to head coach Rex Ryan, and while they have yet to decide who their starting quarterback will be, Jackson would make either Michael Vick or Geno Smith better.

Eric Decker improves the receiving corps and Jeremy Kerley is a nice slot presence, but Jackson brings the vertical range the Jets lack (and hoped to get out of Stephen Hill). GM John Idzik has shown himself to take a hard-line financial approach, but Jackson would deliver immediate impact.

“Furthermore, there has to be an understanding that he is not a physical presence in the running game as it pertains to blocking in the perimeter. If that understanding is good for them, there is no doubt he gives them what they don't have, and it is not just a 'deep' threat. The kid is a moveable chess piece that can play all three primary WR positions, can run routes and excel at all three levels of the defense, and is very dangerous on screens and reverses as a runner. Their locker room appears strong enough to be able to allow him to be him, but not tolerate anything less than an all-in/all-the-time attitude.”

Chris Burke of SI.com has the Eagles taking LSU WR Odell Beckham Jr. with the No. 22 pick in his latest mock draft:

You don’t think Chip Kelly will pass on a potential Pro Bowl receiver, do you? One way or another, the Eagles appear ready to move on from DeSean Jackson, leaving them searching for another game-breaker on offense. Beckham has a lot of the same traits that Philadelphia used to love in Jackson — his explosiveness being chief among them.

In Billy Davis’ defense, outside pass rushers must be versatile enough to attack different gaps and do so with their hands on and off the ground.

Though he’s not known for racking up huge sack totals, you’ll see Shembo rushing outside the tackles, mixing it up inside as a pure end and covering tight ends in the flex-slot positions with some agility. He may be devalued by some as a jack of all trades and master of none, but there are others who will see that value. Shembo led the Fighting Irish with 17 quarterback hurries last season in addition to his 5.5 sacks.

People say DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin can be co-No. 1's in Philadelphia, but when you get down to it, Maclin is the more reliable receiver. Playing on a one-year contract, Maclin has a lot of incentive to prove himself after missing the 2013 season with a torn ACL.

Jackson and Maclin have different personalities. Jackson is more outgoing, whereas Maclin is a quiet guy who gets the job done. Jackson is coming off probably his best NFL season, catching 82 passes for 1,332 yards and nine scores, but we shouldn't forget that in 2012, Maclin was the Eagles' leading receiver. I think Maclin will reclaim that role in 2014.

Judy Battista of NFL.com tries to make sense of the Jackson situation:

And so reporters stood three-deep, waiting for Kelly to explain whether or not receiver DeSean Jackson would remain on the Eagles, and if guard Evan Mathis might also be headed out the door.

What they got instead was a finely-tuned tap dance in which Kelly praised Jackson and acknowledged he had spoken to the receiver in recent days -- but stopped well short of committing to anything, either to remaining tied together with Jackson or to making a trade. It was an echo of general manager Howie Roseman's earlier meeting with reporters, in which he happily answered other questions about the Eagles' roster but was firmly tight-lipped about Jackson.

There is a certain hubris to Kelly's thinking -- to respond to Jackson's groveling through the media or Mathis' desire for a better contract with in essence -- a take-it or leave-it attitude, entertaining the notion of moving on without two vital contributors from his first NFL campaign. Perhaps, it reveals a bit of naivety as well, in that these sorts of instances are hardly unusual or unique in the professional game, and this is clearly a side of the business Kelly didn't have to deal with during his ascent through the college ranks (indeed, at the NCAA level the cash transactions and dirty business is usually conducted between boosters and street agents and the like).

But I'd make the argument that it's also hard to knock Kelly at this point. All the man does is win, and often in dramatic fashion, with an offensive panache that drives fans delirious with possibility. The man knows exactly what he needs to win and what fits his system and who can be more easily replaced. The ethos that he sells to players clearly resonates at a macro level, and the occasional outlier in that regard can be substituted elsewhere.

You May Also Like

Be respectful of our online community and contribute to an engaging conversation. We reserve the right to ban impersonators and remove comments that contain personal attacks, threats, or profanity, or are flat-out offensive. By posting here, you are permitting Philadelphia magazine and Metro Corp. to edit and republish your comment in all media.

Richard Colton

Chris Burke not as mockingly delicious as Don Banks, but the ODB to the Eagles bandwagon is starting to pick up steam.

Tikkit

Vinny Cerrato is beating that drum hard on talk radio in Baltimore. Vinny may not have been the best GM but he is a smart guy and sees what a good player Dirt McGirt may turn out to be.

GEAGLE

At 22, I think he is top on our wish list and Andy will take his Maclin clone Lee…if ODB isn’t there, then trade out of round 1 and get one or the bigger boys, Moncrief,Mathews or A Rob…Devante too

Richard Colton

ODB is the only one there I like in round one. So yea – total agreement. I think in a normal draft year, some of those guys would get yeasted up to the bottom of round 1 or 2. Your boy Moncreif looks like a steal in round three.

I’m sold. What do you think of the “small hands” argument? Especially with Chip being such a measurables guy.

oreofestar

Don’t care ODB is beautiful

LookinAtMyGucci

Do you have his money?

oreofestar

No but he has me wanting him

LookinAtMyGucci

Well, you know his name, now give him his money.

GEAGLE

Just guessing, but I imagine his hands are bigger then Deseans who is pretty damn reliable…stick a Jug Machine in his living room…problem solved

Tom w

Don’t see how odb gets past the ravens and jets … Need a trade back (luv 2 trade backs) and stock up on an additional 2 3 and 4 … Get 6 picks in first 4 Rds and grab a wr olb ilb corner safety wr

GEAGLE

You don’t see how ODB gets by a team like the ravens who could use an OT, picking at a spot that should be in the middle of a run of OTs, a safety picking at a spot where HAHA is available who is the perfect compliment to Matt Elam after just losing Ihendigbo, or a guy like CJ Mosley who Ozzie Newsome would probably love to get his hands on?
…
I can’t tell you Ravens won’t pick ODB. But you damn sure can’t tell me they will…

Tikkit

On Jason LaCanfora’s piece we can best leave it to Bullet Tooth Tony:

“Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.”

Naïve? Calculated and brilliant.

TheNest

agreed

Robert Perri

That Naïve comment annoyed me as well, because while you can say Chip hasn’t dealt with this financial stuff that long, the rest of the Eagles Organization has, and Chip has been very clear he is willing to leave contracts to others. What he doesn’t want is players that are not fully committed

Maggie

What? Three comments already and nobody is talking about DJax?! Better head back to the previous articles. Need a sleeping aid.

Scott J

Chip has commitment problems. He’s single so he can’t commit to a woman. He had trouble committing to taking a job in the NFL. We’re still not sure if he’s committed to Nick Foles. And now we’re not sure if he’s committed to Jackson.

Richard Colton

1,000 years – committed

Brian

999

oreofestar

probably more like 372 before he gets traded he is not seeing that whole deal

Brian

Only if he asks to renegotiate.

oreofestar

he does not have to if we have less than 8 picks we will trade him

Weapon Y

He’s committed to Nick Foles more than anything else.

kstagg

You’re not sure if he’s committed to Jackson or Foles. I’m willing to bet he is. As far as him being single? You’re just jealous.

Adam G

Jason LaCanfora should be banned from writing any stories about the Eagles because of what he said during their coaching search last year.

GEAGLE

I told him that today lol
…
This Judy chick forgot to mention Maclin loves long walks on the beach, while Desean likes to make it rain in strip clubs

FinsterBaby

Oh and Gil you forgot one maclin drops catchable passes and DJax doesn’t

oreofestar

Oh Beckham how I love you

oreofestar

and Kony I love you too

Eagledelphia

Kony is my dream pick not only would he help the team but dates a family member of mine I can see the tickets now lol

Jerry Pomroy

That’s just selfish of you. Can we hang out & shoot the shit sometime…maybe Sundays this fall?

76mustang

Yes, Chip is naive, very naive, if only he had someone like Jason La Canfora to advise him…

Adam G

La Canfora has such a punchable face.

oreofestar

don’t be mean

oreofestar

I love Kony and ODB do not know if I like Kony, Matthews combo more than ODB, Smith

LookinAtMyGucci

I love lamp.

Jerry Pomroy

Do you really love the lamp or are you just saying it because you saw it?

LookinAtMyGucci

I love lamp.

Jerry Pomroy

I like Kony. I just don’t know if they’ll like him. I think he’s probably a better player at 265-270lbs. He’s got the size they seem to covet. I just don’t know if his combine athleticism will show it’s head on the field. He plays slower than I’d like and that’s why I’d like him a tad lighter.

LookinAtMyGucci

Man, Evan Turner is so bad.

LookinAtMyGucci

Of course as soon as I say that he starts making some plays. Damn him.

Corey Dawson

I read on CSN Philly that one of the reasons that they may be trying to move on from Jackson is that The Birds are projected to be over the cap in 2015 already. They gave numbers, but I went to overthecap.com to check out the truth behind it.
…
In 2015 the Eagles have 51 players signed with a total of 144M, with the projected cap being 142M. 25 players on offense with 80M committed, 24 on D with 60M committed. DJax has a 12M cap number (highest on the team) with 8M savable. Right behind him is McCoy with 11.95M, 7.55M savable, but it’s not like he’s going anywhere, and Trent Cole at 11.625M with 8.425M savable.
…
Trading/cutting DeJax and replacing him with a rookie in the first 1-2 rounds would take the Eagles from 2M over the cap to 6M under (minus the rookie’s salary). Cole won’t be here either, even if he is in ’14. He’s just too expensive and not quite a fit in what they want from an OLB, so I don’t even think they’ll restructure him. He’s also too epensive to trade.
…
So, ignoring the contracts for their replacements, getting rid of DJax and Cole brings The Eagles to 14M under the cap. That money will have to go toward those who replace them, as well as new contracts for those in the final year of their rookie deals in 2015 that they want to keep around, in which case a new contract is typically figured out before that final year and it becomes the first year of their new contract. The players in this camp are Foles, who will likely demand double digits, Boykin, Cox, and Kendricks. Those are some key players theat they’re going to want to lock up, and they’re going to need the room to do it. Dropping DJax and Cole will go a long way toward that.
…
Other players with big potential 2015 savings if cut or traded? Cary Williams at 6.5M and Mathis at 4.5M, which is why we’re probably hearing the Mathis rumblings. They may really like him, but if he’s clamoring for a new contract or starts making trouble to get one (doesn’t seem like that type of dude, just saying if), The Eagles would have no issue trading him away. Especially if they are high on his backup.
…http://www.overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team=Eagles&Year=2015

In celebration of Philadelphia magazine’s 11th Annual Trailblazer Award and with the aid of TD Bank, we’re recognizing the most accomplished, extraordinary women in Philadelphia. Here, we pick the brains of More >>

Kennett Square’s Longwood Gardens is oft-favored for its world-class floral displays and bountiful gardens. However, the horticulture haven is also a go-to for dazzling jazz, organ, classical and world music More >>

On Tuesday Dr. Andrew Star, medical director of Abington Health’s Orthopedic and Spine Institute answered viewer’s live questions and gave advice about knee pain. He discussed both conservative and surgical More >>